Maternity girdle



Aug. 12, 1952 K. L. VRACIU MATERNITY GIRDLE Filed March 3, 1950 Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED-.STATES PATENT OFF ICE it 7 I 2,606,322-

MATERNITY Gntoiiti Kathryn- L. Vraciu, Falls church;- Var: lf Application lldarcli a, 1950', Serial No, 147,416

This invention relates to amat'er'nity girdle and it, is an object of the. invention to provide a garment of this kind which is freeof parts, such as stays or laces, that would be irritating to the skin of the wearer.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a garment of this kind which can be worn with comfort and which provides an efiective support especially during the later stage of pregnancy.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a girdle wherein the front upper portion is provided with a relatively large cutout together with a series of inserts to be selectively placed in the cutout, said inserts of a series being successively enlarged to allow for normal growth.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved maternity girdle, whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a maternity garment constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and in applied position;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the garment in flattened condition, portions being broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig ure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in rear or inside elevation of the upper portion of an insert; and

Figure 6 is an elevational view of an insert unapplied. 7

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I denotes a continuous or endless band of stretchable or elastic material adapted to fit snugly upon the person around the hips and over the lower portion of the torso over the abdominal region.

The front portion of the band is provided with a large cutout 2 open at the upper edge of the band and extending to a point closely adjacent to the lower margin of the band, the portion of the band I below the cutout 2 being unbroken. The cutout 2 is also of a material width 50 that the area of approximate waiste line. A non-elastic selvedge 3 is secured to the marginal portion of the cut- 7 1? claim. (01. 2 41).

out'z saa spaeeu along said'selvedge are the out-- wardly'dispose'd fasteningelcmentsd, such as resilient he'ads;

The lower marginal portion, including the portion Ia below the cutout 2, of the band I has secured therearound an elastic strip 5 while the upper marginal portion of the band I from one side of the cutout 2 to the other has secured thereto the elastic band 6. These bands 5 and 6 serve to further tension the band I about the person, between the waist line and the approximate plane of the right and left iliac regions.

The lower marginal portion Ia of the band I lies in, or slightly below, the plane of the right and left iliac regions, and has suitably secured thereto in required spaced positions the depending hose supports 7 of preferred style. These supporters provide means to hold the applied band against upward movement on the body of the wearer and thus increases the efi'iciency of the girdle.

The band I at each side of the cutout 2 has secured thereto a strip or tape 8 which extends from the lower portion of the cutout 2 on a rearward and upward incline. I The tapes or strips 8 assure further effective support and more particularly during the later period of pregnancy.

The lower marginal portion of the band I may have attached therein a length 9 of a suitable trim although this is only incidental.

In association with the band I there is to be used a series of inserts A successively of different fullness proportionate to the normal growth during pregnancy. It is believed, however, that for the purpose of disclosure, a detailed description of a single insert A is sufiicient.

The insert A comprising a suitable cut or panel of light non-stretchable cloth I!) and the marginal portions of the cloth- II] are gathered, as at II, to give the insert the desired fullness. The contour and dimensions of the insert A is substantially the same as that of the cutout 2 and is provided with a straight top marginal portion a along which is secured an elastic strip I2 providing means to prevent the top portion of the applied insert A from dropping or sagging when the garment is being worn.

The marginal portion of the insert A from the opposite ends of the top straight margin a has secured thereto the selvedge I4 along which are the spacedand inwardly disposed fastening elements I5 herein disclosed as socket members, for coaction with the fastening elements 4 whereby the insert A is removably but effectively held in applied position over the cutout 2. The dimensions accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and used.

I claim: In a maternity girdle, a one piece ,band of an elastic material having its back and side portions of substantially equal height to extend downward from the approximate waist line of the wearer a distance that the lower portions of the-sides overlie the hips, the front of the band'h'avlng a' cutout separating the side portions above a relatively narrow bottom portion extending across 1. the abdomen approximately in the planeof the right and left iliac regions, elastic reinforcing strips secured along the top and bottom edge portions of the band, a selvedge strip bounding the edge of the cutout, non-elastic reinforcing strips extending diagonally upward and rearward about the side portions from intermediate points of connection with the opposite side edges of the cutout to points of connection with the top edge of the back portion, an insert of a non-elastic material having a selvedge edge for the cutout, and separable fasteners carried by the said selvedge edges for securing the insert in place.

L. VRACIU.

; nemmrsmm The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

" "UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,079,552 Herman Nov. 25, 1913 130L618 Stradling Apr. 22, 1919 r 2,283,108 Versoy May 12. 1942 20 2,306,546 Kispert Dec. 29, 1942 2,469,793 Siegel May 10, 1949 2,472,154. Fiorito June 7, 1949 2544386 

